


Akemi Homura goes to therapy

by ThePieGod7



Category: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:15:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27174377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePieGod7/pseuds/ThePieGod7
Summary: Madoka decides Homura needs some professional help.
Relationships: Akemi Homura/Kaname Madoka
Comments: 5
Kudos: 75





	1. Chapter 1

With a click of her shield, time stopped. The ground around her was sucked into nothingness, and the past ceased to exist. With a sudden stop, she was back in the hospital bed. She looked at the calendar beside her. March 16th. Homura had restarted her time loop. And she would stop at nothing to save Madoka from the chains of fate. 

The cool air of early spring whistled through the Mitakihara trees. Madoka and her friends, Sayaka and Hitomi, strolled down the road to school. It would have been a peaceful morning, if not for Sayaka’s constant teasing. 

“So you want to become a popular girl like Hitomi-chan, Madoka-chan?” Sayaka taunted. “And you’ve decided to start changing your images with these hair ribbons, huh? 

“You’re wrong!” Madoka pouted. “My mom made me-”

“I see!” Sayaka flashed an assertive smile. “You even got your mom to tell you about the secret to becoming popular! How shameless!” 

Sayaka moved in to tickle Madoka. “Let me show you what happens to bad girls like you!” Hitomi cleared her throat loudly, grabbing the attention of Sayaka and Madoka.

Once they were all in class, Miss Saotome was very irritated. 

“I want you all to listen very closely!” She stomped on one leg. “When frying an egg, should it be friend sunny side-up or over hard?” Pointing her baton in a dramatic fashion, she asked, “Mr Nakazawa, what do you think?!”

“Huh?! Well, uh… they can be fried either way, can’t they?”

“Precisely!” Saotome shouted. “They can be fried either way! And it should go without saying that judging a woman’s attractiveness by the way she fries her eggs is the gravest of mistakes!” As she delivered this line, she snapped the baton in her hand. “Now, girls, I want you to remember that you must never date men who insist they can’t eat fried eggs done over hard. 

Sayaka turned to Madoka. “Guess it didn’t work out.” 

“Yeah, guess it didn’t.” Madoka smiled softly. 

“And boys, you’d better not grow up so petty as to fuss over how your eggs are done, okay?!” Saotome breathed deeply. “Well then, now that that’s out of the way, let’s welcome our new transfer student!” 

“Hey, shouldn’t that have come first?” Sayaka joked. 

“Come in, Miss Akemi!” 

An imposing girl, coated by elegance and wrapped in mystery strode into the room. A cold wind followed her footsteps and blew through her thick, black hair. She caught the attention of every student. 

Then, she tripped. Making a loud whump, Holding her head, she picked herself back up slowly. Saotome looked at her worryingly. “Ah- Miss Akemi has been in the hospital for quite a while. Be sure t-”

“No, I’m fine.” Akemi turned to the class. “I just slipped on my shoelace. That’s all.”

“Is that so…” Saotome brought a pen to the whiteboard, and began to write the name Akemi, but the girl beside her politely took the tool from her hands and wrote down Akemi Homura. She looked back to the class, and everyone softly applauded. 

During a passing period, Homura sat in silence. Usually, she was approached by the girls, all of whom would admire her sophisticated aura. But… did she mess it up this time? Would her tumble spell the failure of yet another loop? 

“Uh, you had a pretty bad fall back there, miss Akemi…” Madoka approached her. “Do you want me to escort you to the nurse’s office?”

Homura nearly shed a tear. No, Madoka would never neglect her. That’s why she’d been after her all this time. It’s why she ever started in the first place.

“Yes, please. I haven’t been feeling well.” Homura stood up. 

“Do you mind if I call you Homura-chan?” Madoka asked, as they walked together.

“No, go ahead.” Homura nodded. “Should I call you Madoka-chan?”

“Oh! I was about to introduce myself, but I guess I already did.” Madoka smiled. “Wait, did I?”

“I overheard it from sensei.” Homura lied through her teeth. “My apologies.” 

“Homura-chan, huh?” Madoka twiddled her thumbs.

“Yes?”

“Oh! Nothing, I just… thought it was a cool name!” 

Homura didn’t respond. 

“It’s like ‘flame,’ right?” 

Homura stopped in her tracks.

Madoka nearly bumped into her. “Homura-chan?”

“Madoka, if someone- some _ thing  _ offers you a miracle, reject them. Reject them and never look back.”

“Huh?” Madoka looked confused. “Uh, sure…” 

Homura turned around, and once again walked to the nurse office. 

“Hey Homura-chan…” Madoka said timidly. 

Homura didn’t look at Madoka.

“Are you okay?” 

Homura ignored her. Madoka ran up to meet her. “It just… sounds like you’ve had a bad experience.”

Homura froze. “What do you mean?” She muttered. 

Madoka brought her hand to her cheek. “Like… you got ripped off or something.” 

Homura gasped.

“Or… you had a bad relationship experience.” 

Homura’s pupils dilated. 

“Or… maybe someone you trusted did something mean to you."

Homura’s heart beat out of her chest. 

"Or-" 

Homura grabbed Madoka's shoulder. "Please stop talking." 

"Homura-chan…" Madoka whimpered. "I'm sorry. Was I wrong about something?" 

"No." Homura sniffled. "No, you…" Homura wiped her nose. "Yes, you were wrong. None of those things happened to me." 

"Homura-chan, do you need to talk to someone?" 

“No, I don’t.” Homura turned around. “But thanks for asking.” Homura walked to the nurse’s office without Madoka’s assistance. 

The rest of the school day passed in a blur. Homura showed herself to be unrivaled in mathematics, solving a multitude of equations without breaking a sweat. Everyone in the class watched in awe. A bit later, Homura casually broke the prefecture-wide high jump record. Not even the P.E. teacher believed it at first. Girls crowded Homura.

“That was amazing!”   
“How did you do that?!”

Homura dramatically flicked her hair. “Ladies, please…” She said lustfully, glancing at Madoka. 

Madoka shot back a look of confusion, and inched closer to Sayaka. 

“Hey, Madoka-chan. Do you mind if we stopped at the music store on the way home?” Sayaka asked. 

“That’s fine.” Madoka replied. “Buying another CD for Kamijo?”

“Something like that.” Sayaka waved her off. 

On their way to the music store, Madoka saw Homura walking past them, still holding her school bag. Madoka waved at her. Homura noticed her, and walked over. 

“Homura-chan! What a coincidence!” Madoka giggled. 

“Yes. A coincidence indeed.” Homura responded with a monotone voice.

“Yeah, that’s crazy.” Sayaka crept next to Madoka. “Hey, you really think this is a coincidence? I mean, wasn’t she eyeing you earlier?” She whispered.

“I’m sure it is.” Madoka replied under her breath. “I mean, it’s not li-” Madoka spotted Homura’s bag wriggling. 

“Homura-chan…” Madoka uttered. “What’s in your bag?”

“Nothing important.” Homura stared at her blankly. 

“Really?” Sayaka scoffed. “It just moved again.” 

Homura looked over to Sayaka. “Nevermind that. What kind of music are you guys looking for?”

“ _ Madoka. _ ” A small voice reached out to Madoka. “ _ Please, help me. _ ” 

“What?” Madoka asked nervously. “Who said that?”    
Homura and Sayaka both eyed down Madoka.

“Who are you talking to?” Sayaka questioned.

“ _ Madoka.” _ The voice appeared again. “ _ Help me. I’m in the bag. _ ”

“They say they’re in your bag…” Madoka quivered. 

“Huh?” Sayaka grunted.

“There’s nothing in this bag.” Homura stated. “You’re probably just hearing lyrics to a song.” 

“Hang on.” Sayaka insisted. “I want to know what’s in that bag too. Give it here.” Sayaka walked towards. 

“What bag?” Homura questioned innocently.

“The one in your ha-” Homura’s bag had disappeared. “What?” 

Homura, her hands completely empty, squinted at Sayaka. “I don’t have a bag.” 

Madoka glanced around the store, and sure enough, there was no bag to be seen. 

“Then… where’d it go?” Sayaka demanded. “Madoka, can you still hear that voice?”

“I don’t… think so…” Madoka tried listening, but no faint voice came to her head. 

“Whatever.” Sayaka groaned, and leaned next to Madoka. “Madoka, I’m leaving. She weirds me out.” 

Madoka nodded. “So, Homura-chan…” She began, as Sayaka creeped past them. “What are you here for?” 

“I was just looking for some CDs.” Homura responded. “What about you?”

“Well I just went here with- nevermind. What kind of CDs are you looking for?”

“I’m not sure.” Homura contemplated. “I’m just bored of listening to the same songs. It gets kind of boring, doing the same thing over and over, you know?” 

“Hmmmm… have you ever listened to ClariS? They just released a new single.”

“Can’t say that I have.” 

“Here, listen to this.” Madoka brought a pair of demo headphones over Homura’s ears. 

Homura started bobbing her head to the beat of the song. “It has a sad tone, but it’s hopeful. Like love in the face of despair. I like it.” She praised, bringing the headphones down to the rack. 

“Will you buy it?” Madoka smiled.

Homura looked into Madoka’s glossy eyes, and sighed. “No, I don’t think I will. In fact...” Homura turned away. “I don’t really feel like looking for cds.”

Madoka faced her. “Oh, well… Me neither, I guess.”

“Did you want to go anywhere else?”

“Come to think of it… Want to go clothes shopping?” 

Homura’s eyes widened, and she drooled over the mental image of Madoka wearing an elegant wedding dress. 

“Homura… chan?” 

“Yes, I would like to do that.”

“Did you space out for a second there?”

“I did. My apologies.” 

“Yeah…” Madoka nervously giggled.

Homura stared down Madoka from behind a mannequin display as she browsed the aisle. 

“Um… is there anything you’re interested in, Homura-chan?” Madoka faked a smile. 

“Not particularly.” Homura didn’t move.

“Because… you’re kind of creeping me out like that…”

Homura looked stunned in rejection. “Sorry…” 

“No, it’s okay!” Madoka fibbed. She couldn’t shake the feeling Homura wanted something out of her. “It’s just that…” Madoka turned to Homura. “Homura-chan…”

Homura waited in anticipation.

“Is there something you want from me?”

Homura didn’t move.

“I just feel like…” Madoka’s eyes flickered. “You’re obsessed with me, you know?”

“Oh.” Homura shuddered. “ _ Ohhh…” _

“I think you should… Maybe…” Madoka grinned as hard as she could. “Tone it down a little?”

“Yeah…” Homura sniffled.

Madoka approached her. “Look, do you need a therapist?”

“No. I have you.” Homura replied sternly.

“Oh.” Madoka’s face filled with fear. “ _ Ohhh…” _

“Is something wrong?” Homura asked.

“I… think I’ll go home now.” 

“...Oh.” 

“Yeah… See you later, Homura-chan.”

“Yeah… See you.” Homura solemnly watched Madoka leave the store, leaving Homura surrounded only by faceless mannequins. Homura punched herself in the face. How could she mess up this badly? And on the first day?! She felt too depressed to restart the loop, and chose to stroll back to her house, with her head hung low. 

“Are you Akemi Homura?” Homura was confronted by a confident, upstanding girl, who wore her hair in drills. Mami Tomoe, bold as ever, stood tall, blocking Homura’s path. Not one other person was on the road around them. Homura responded only with an empty expression. “Kyubey tells me you left him in a bag, on the roof, tied up with duct tape. Did you do that?” 

“Yes.” Homura stated. “He was being an annoyance.” 

“Kyubey also tells me he was looking to contract with two girls named Kaname Madoka and Miki Sayaka.” Mami glared down Homura with a serious face. “Were you aware of this?”

“Yes, I was.” Homura responded.

“Akemi Homura, were you attempting to prevent Kaname Madoka and Miki Sayaka from contracting?” In a flash of light, Mami transformed into her lacy magical girl outfit, and pointed an ornamented musket at Homura. “And if you were, what reason would you have for doing so?”

“Tomoe Mami…” Homura flicked her hair. Without another word, Homura summoned her shield, and paused the time around her. She strolled past Mami, not giving her a glance in the process. 

Mami looked around. “Huh?” She exclaimed. “Where’d she go?” But Homura was nowhere to be seen. Mami grunted, and returned back to her school uniform in a bright shimmer.

“Kyubey. Do you know what that was?” 

“I’m afraid I don’t.” A small, cat like animal projected his thoughts telepathically to Mami. “My best guess is teleportation magic.”

“But didn’t she contract with you?”

“I can’t say for sure. If she did, I have no recollection of that event.”

Mami groaned. “I don’t get that girl. She just showed up today, and acts like she knows everything.”

“What if she does?” Kyubey perked up.

“That’d be ridiculous.” Mami sneered. 

“You never know. It could have been a part of her wish.” 

“You’re not helping.” Mami sighed. “I’m gonna go drink some tea.”

Homura sat brooding upon a tall building. She looked down upon the industrial hellscape below her, the wind howling through her hair. Pulling out her soul gem, a distinct blackish mire sprouted through its roots.

“Akemi Homura.” A screeching voice was broadcast into her mind. She turned around and was met with the deep, crimson eyes of Kyubey, standing behind her. 

“Incubator.” Homura greeted him with a tone of contempt.

“I recommend you hunt witches.” Kyubey advised. “Soul gem distortion can be fatal… But I’m sure you would know that.”

“Then why come all the way here?” 

“Because your activity today is a phenomenon I’ve never witnessed.” Kyubey reminisced. “If I’m not mistaken, you’ve used very little magic recently. And yet, your soul gem has the stains of ten battles. That is why I am here, Akemi Homura. I would like to know what has happened to your soul gem.” 

Homura grimaced. “Something like you wouldn’t understand.”

“I just said I didn’t.” 

Homura moved her gaze back to the city. “It’s beyond you incubators.” 

Kyubey sighed. “I don’t understand you humans.” Walking back into the darkness from whence he came, he glared at Homura. “Heed this, Akemi Homura.” The glint in his eyes flared red through the night sky. “Find a grief seed soon. This is more important than anything else. More than Kaname Madoka.” The red lights disappeared into shadow, and Kyubey warned, “Someone like you should know that.”

Homura flicked her hair, and continued looking down, giving no response.

Homura sat down for her second day of class. For this timeline, at least. Before Miss Saotome could enter, however, Madoka started glancing quickly at Homura. Homura’s heart pumped out of her chest. Breathing heavily, she sneaked peeks at her, trying to read her next move. Was Madoka thinking about how much she hated her? Or was it something else entirely? Homura thought she blew it yesterday, but something inside her hoped she was wrong about that, even if she could restart the time loop whenever she wanted.

Madoka rose out of her seat. Homura froze up. Sweat fell down her forehead. She wasn’t ready for whatever came next.

“Homura-chan…” Madoka called.

Homura creaked her head over to Madoka. Trembling, she nodded her head quickly.

“Would you like to… come to my house after school?” 

Homura nodded again, her face pale as snow.

“Um… here’s my address…” Madoka said, handing her a slip of paper.

Homura nodded once again, too stunned to breathe. She took the paper, and avoided gazing at Madoka.

What just happened? Homura looked at the paper. It was Madoka’s real address, for sure. Homura would know. But… why? What was Madoka trying to do? 

Homura let out a slight smile. Desires invaded her psyche. Maybe… just maybe… this timeline would be worth it. 

Homura’s hand hesitated.. This is happening, right? Homura looked at the slip of paper in her hand. The address written on it was the same as the house in front of her. She crumpled it up. Now was not the time to back down. She rang the doorbell. A sweet, glasses-wearing man opened the door. Madoka’s father.

“Hello.” Homura greeted.

“Ah, you must be Akemi-san. Come in. Would you like something to drink?”

“No thanks, I’m fine.” Homura stepped into the contemporary building. Despite living the same month over and over, Homura hadn’t been in the Kaname residence in recent memory. She found it a little pretentious, but considering her interior decoration, she didn’t have much room to speak.

“Where is Madoka?” Homura asked.

“She’s just in her room.” Madoka’s father said, and gestured to a brown door.

“Thank you.” Homura bowed. She walked over and opened the door, to be met with… not Madoka.

A broad woman with glasses and short hair sat in a pink bed, who held a notepad, faced Homura. Even though the wallpaper was a pink flower pattern and childish stuffed animals sat in the bed… This was Madoka’s room, right?

“You must be Akemi Homura.” She said. “My name is Tsuda Yumi. It’s nice to meet you.”

Homura could only stand in confusion. “M-Madoka?” She asked, turning around.

“ _ Homura-chan.”  _ Madoka grinned creepily, and shoved Homura into the room before quickly slamming the door.

Homura stared at Yumi like a deer in headlights. 

“I suppose you may be a bit confused.” Yumi admitted. “I’ve been asked to serve as your therapist.”

“By who?” Homura asked.

“Kaname Madoka. She tells me… You seem a bit fixated on her.” 

“Me?” Homura’s heart pounded. “I-I-”

“Would you like to take a seat?” Yumi motioned to the chair. 

Homura’s heart beat harder.  _ Madoka’s chair!? _

“Oh, I wiped it down, so you don’t need to be concerned.”

Homura sighed.

“You seem disappointed.”

“Sorry. I just thought I would be able to smell Madoka’s chair.” Homura stated.

Yumi stared at her, unblinking.

“Joking! I was joking!” Homura was not joking.

Yumi blinked awkwardly. “Right, then. Well, I should start off by saying that everything we discuss here will be confidential. Any further sessions- if you wish to have them- will be at my office.” 

Homura nodded.

“With that said, I must ask you an important question.” Yumi looked directly at Homura. “Do you, as an individual, consent to this meeting?” 

“I…” Homura thought back to the store. How Madoka looked at her. Back to Walpurgisnaucht. Back to watching everyone die. Memories she thought she buried deep within. Scars etched into her psyche. Madoka’s words echoed in her mind. “ _ Do you need a therapist? _ ”

Maybe this wasn’t the worst idea.

“I do, yes.” 

“Good.” Yumi gave a heartwarmed smile. “Now, Homura- Do you mind if I call you Homura?”

“Go ahead.” Homura responded.

Yumi nodded. “How are you feeling today, Homura?”

“I’m not sure.” Homura sighed. “I was pretty excited to visit Madoka’s house, but…”

“Are you disappointed?”

“If I’m being honest, yes. No offense, or anything.” 

“It’s alright, I understand. Do you know why I am here today?”

“I think I do.” Homura thought back. “You were asked by Madoka, right?”

“Well, do you know why Madoka asked me?”

“I believe she thinks I’m creepy.”

“Not exactly.”

Homura’s heart skipped a beat. “Wait, what?”

“Madoka believes that you’ve become infatuated with her over a very short period of time. She assumes it’s because of something… traumatic you’ve gone through.” Yumi said, looking down at her notes. 

Homura looked down to the ground. “Is that so…”

Yumi didn’t respond.

Homura stayed silent for a while. Every time she started over, she did it for Madoka. She never took any time to think about any of it. Every day, every little interaction, every death… meant nothing to her. She’d seen it all hundreds of times. The only light in this endless tunnel was Madoka, forever kept out of her reach. 

Before she knew it, Homura was crying. She tried to wipe her tears, but more fell. She covered her eyes with her hands, and silently wept for a minute or two. 

“I’m sorry, I-”

“It’s alright. Feel free to let it all out.” Yumi reassured, with Homura nodding in response. 

Homura sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“Oh, don’t worry about me. What about you?”

“Well, I…” Homura thought for a second. She probably shouldn’t tell Yumi about magical girls, witches and Kyubey. She decided to bend the story… just a little bit. “A couple of years ago… my best friend died. It’s been a little hard, but… Madoka… in a way… remind me of her.” 

Yami nodded. “It’s okay to feel that way.”

“Thank you.” Homura wiped her face. “I feel like… I just want… Madoka to be happy…”

“Why is that?” Yami asked. 

Homura fumbled with her word. “It’s like… you know… if Madoka’s happy, I think I would be happy.” 

“Do you feel you’re only allowed to be happy if Madoka is as well?”

“Not really... but I don’t feel happy any other way.”

“If Madoka was sad, would you be sad?”

“Yes, I would be.”

“I see…” Yami brought her hand to her chin. “You must be a very nice friend, Homura.”

Homura blushed. “R-really?”

“Yes. But I think you should prioritize yourself just a little bit more.”

“W-what do you mean?”

“Homura, you deserve to be happy. But you shouldn’t place that in the hands of others.”

“I… don’t think I understand…”

“Let’s see… Homura, do you have any hobbies?”

“Not particularly…”

“Well, why don’t you try doing something new?”

Homura pondered on that thought. “Like what?”

“What’s something you’ve always wanted to do?”

“I don’t know.” Homura replied, resisting the urge to say ‘Madoka.’ “I’ve been in a hospital for a good portion of my life, so I haven’t really had any opportunities…”

“Then now’s the perfect time, isn’t it?” Yumi beamed. “You could go hiking… or photographing… or go to a museum…”

“Hiking, huh…” Homura thought for a second. She mostly patrolled urban areas for witches. Mitakihara wasn’t completely lacking in nature exhibits, so going hiking  _ was _ an option. 

“Yeah, I think I’ll go hiking.” Homura admitted.

“That’s great! Ah, and looks like we’re right on schedule. What do you think, same time next week?”

“Sure. Where’s your office?”

“Oh, here’s my card.” Yumi gave Homura a sleek, plastic card, with Yumi’s information printed on it. “Need a disinfectant wipe?”

“Uh, I’m good, thanks.” Homura responded. 

“Well, I’ll be seeing you, then. Goodbye, Homura.” 

“Bye, Yumi.” Homura tried not to freak out at the thought of turning Madoka’s doorknob, and left the room.

  
  


Madoka’s father turned to Homura. “Hello, Akemi-san. Did you have a good session?”

“I did, yes.” Homura admitted, returning to her signature monotone voice.

“That’s good. Would you like to stay here a while?”

“No thanks. I have homework I need to finish.”   
“Alright. Have a nice day, Akemi-san.”   
“Thanks, you too.”

Homura already finished her homework. But something told her to give Madoka some space. And anyway, she needed a grief seed. She approached the front door.

“Akemi-san?” Madoka’s father called out.

“Y-yes?” Homura was slightly worried.

“Whatever is troubling you, I hope you can overcome it.” He said, with a tone of sincerity.

“Thank you.”

Homura exited the house, looking forward to that hike.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Homura begins to feel more confident in herself.

The wind howled through the forest air. Homura, slightly cold, held out her soul gem. It brightly illuminated the night around her, but it failed to detect any witches. Still, though, Homura quite enjoyed the change of scenery. Even if being in a dark forest at night wasn’t what Tsuda Yumi had in mind for her, it was a nice change of pace. The fresh air was pleasing. Separation from other people was delightful. And seeing every star in the sky was beautiful, especially for someone who spent a lot of time in the industrial district of Mitakihara. This night was perfect. And absolutely nothing could ruin-

“You’re quite the special magical girl…” A red light glared from the treetops. “Akemi Homura.”

“Incubator.” Homura greeted with a tinge of scorn, hoping to make this emotionless creature know the raging disdain that filled her. “Don’t you have prepubescent girls to deceive?”

“Yes, but you shouldn’t have to worry about that.” Kyubey jumped down, landing on all fours. “Right now, I’m interested in you. Akemi Homura, have you noticed your soul gem has become less polluted, despite not having used a grief seed?”

Homura took a glance, and gasped. To her chagrin, the incubator was right. The jewel glowed with a bright purple, with barely any muck showing on the surface. She turned back to Kyubey. 

“How did this happen?” Homura muttered. “Was it you? Did you do something?”

“I’d like to know too.” Kyubey shrugged. “And here I thought you had the answer…”

Homura brought her hand to her chin. “Wait, you’re telling me you’ve never seen this?” 

“No incubator has. I thought it may have been one of your magic tricks, but judging your reaction, I suppose that would be incorrect.”

“Strange…” 

“Strange indeed. This phenomenon is a first for us incubators. We’ll be observing you very closely, Akemi Homura. ”

Homura turned away. “What else is new?”

Her rhetorical question was met with cold silence. Thankfully, the incubator had left. With him gone, Homura only now noticed how chilly it got. Shivering, she started walking back to her house.

Just before class began, Homura forced herself to not look at Madoka. Instead, she focused her thoughts on Tomoe Mami. Homura was fairly certain that both Madoka and Sayaka had yet to meet Kyubey or Mami. She didn’t know why she didn’t try duct tape sooner... However, Kyubey was bound to meet them eventually, and probably soon. Madoka was likely to wait until the last minute to contract, like she had done in previous timelines, but Sayaka was a bit… impatient. And usually was one of the first to die. However, Sayaka always wished for one thing. The healing of a boy that she liked. And Sayaka usually desired to fill the role of a ‘hero of justice,’ both of which led her to becoming a magical girl. If Homura could somehow heal the boy, and allow some individual to fill the role of ‘hero’ in Sayaka’s place, it would be possible to delay fate, if only a little. But who? Homura only had minor healing powers. And she didn’t see herself as a hero. She needed to recruit someone. And although her options were limited, she had an idea.

A boundless blue sky held over the Mitakihara Middle School roof. While waiting for Tomoe Mami to show her face, Homura sat on a bench, observing the luscious cityscape from a distance. Even though Homura had spent a millennium in this same town, she never grew disappointed with this view. Just like how she never became bored with Mado-

No. Homura had to stop herself from thinking impossibly high of Madoka. She was just a normal person. Well, as close to normal as a magic-filled alien-contracted witch destroyer could be. But… Madoka was nice to Homura. When nobody else was. In fact, she was more than nice. Madoka salvaged Homura’s soul from the brink of ruination. And now Homura was out to save hers. To prevent a contract from forming. And to make sure Madoka never feels the empty despair that inevitably haunts every magical girl. Homura didn’t live this month over, and over, and over for just a ‘normal person.’ She did it for Kaname Madoka. 

Wait. Didn’t Homura have to stop herself from having these thoughts? She groaned, and made a mental note to tell Yumi about this. 

“Akemi-san.” Mami’s voice rang from the door. “I received your notice.”

Homura noticed a modest, smug tinge in Mami’s tone. It was safe to say she was feeling normal.

“I have something that I’d like to discuss with you, Tomoe-san.” Homura stated. “Without any confrontations.”

“I’ll behave myself, as long as you do the same.” Mami smiled.

“Then we have a deal.” Homura replied. “Now, do you know Miki Sayaka?”

“I’ve heard the name. We’ve never met, though. Why do you ask?”

“She…” Homura sighed. She couldn’t believe she was about to say this. “She has a friend who was in an accident, and is now a parapalegeic.”

Mami clasped her mouth. “Oh my, that’s horrible.” 

“I’ve been wondering. You wished to heal your wounds from a car accident, correct?” 

Mami stepped back. “How did you know that?”

“You ought to have strong healing magic. Do you think you can heal paralysis?”

“I… I think so. I’ve never tried.”

“Alright. The boy’s name is Kamijo Kyousuke.”

“Wait, are you asking me to heal him?”

“Yes. If you’re fine with that.”

“I am.”

“Good. We’ll go to Mitakihara hospital after school. I expect to see you there.”   
“One question.” Mami looked straight at Homura. “Why are you doing this? What do you want to gain?”

Homura flicked her hair. “I’m doing it out of the kindness of my heart.”

“The kindness of your heart?” Mami considered the thought. “I doubt that… but I don’t have any reasons to go against it. I’ll be there.” Mami said confidently.

“That’s good to hear. I’ll be looking forward to it.” Homura waved. “See you later, then.”

“Yeah… see you.”

Waving, Homura walked towards the exit.

“Maybe that girl did wish to know everything.” Kyubey’s distinct voice called from behind Mami.

“Maybe so.” Mami admitted. “I’d just like to know what she’s planning. Is she friends with Miki Sayaka?”

“Beats me.” Kyubey confessed. “I’ve barely seen the two interact. In fact, she shouldn’t even be aware of Kamijo Kyousuke.”

“Hmmm…” Mami pondered. “Do you think she’s really healing him to be nice?” 

“I wouldn’t know.” Kyubey replied.

Mami eyed down the small creature. “Didn’t you say something about contracting Miki Sayaka?”

Kyubey didn’t look at her. “Maybe.”

Homura definitely wasn’t the only one who knew more than they let on.

Homura leaned against the hospital’s outside. She tried to not appear suspicious, but to little avail. Not that it mattered, however, because she was the only one outside the hospital at the time. That is, until…

“You’re actually here.” Mami observed.

“You actually showed up.” Homura replied, and cleared her throat. “Okay, I’ll break us inside. Once we’re there, you heal him, and we can escape through the window.” 

“And how do you plan on breaking in, Akemi Homura?” Kyubey appeared from behind the two.

Mami and Homura looked at each other. “Akemi-san…” Mami began. “Do you still have the duct tape?”

“Hey, wait! You can’t leave me!” Kyubey flailed his limbs, his body compressed against a tree by a couple wads of duct tape. “There’s nobody here to untie me!”

Homura, already transformed, turned to Mami. “Grab my hand.”

Mami accepted the invitation, and was instantly brought into a greyscale world, absent of life, save for the girl that stood next to her.    
“Is this… stopped time?” Mami asked.

“Yes.” Homura pulled on Mami’s arm. “Let’s hurry.”

“R-right.”

Homura stopped in her tracks. “This is the one.” 

Sure enough, the label on the door read ‘Kyousuke Kamijo.’ Entering the room, a gray-haired boy lay in a white bed, which was accompanied by a nightstand and two chairs. 

“Alright, give me one minute.” Mami rushed next to Kamijo, and focused a salutary aura on his legs.

“You’ve got all the time in the world.” This wasn’t necessarily true, but Homura was willing to sacrifice as much magic as needed to see this operation through. 

Which wasn’t too much, apparently. About one minute after the fact, Mami got up, and said, “I’m done.”

“Alright, let’s get out of here.” Homura lifted Mami bridal-style. Side stepping over the bed, she opened the window, and leaped down to the ground below. 

Homura landed on the road with a thud. She let Mami down, and looked at her with a smile. 

“Thank you, Tomoe-san.”

“You’re welcome.”

As the two girls changed back from their magical girl outfits, color flushed back through the world. Wind flew, animals started moving, and sounds returned to the earth. 

“I presume you’re going to hunt some witches now.” Mami stated.

“Actually, I have one more request.” Homura replied.

“Hmmm?”

“Could you befriend Miki Sayaka?”

“Eh? Why?”

Homura realized she couldn’t hide her intentions from Mami for too long, and decided to dismiss herself. “Eh, nevermind.” Sayaka and Madoka were probably fated to meet her, anyway. 

“Oh. Well, if you insist. I mean, I wouldn’t mind...”

“Just forget about it.” Homura shrugged her off.

“Alright, I will. I’ll be going, then.”

“As will I.” Homura responded. “I wish you good luck on your witch hunting.”

“You too.” Mami replied, and gave a small salute before walking off.

Homura realized a little too late that Mami probably  _ wanted  _ new friends. Well, that wasn’t Homura’s problem. She only needed to make sure Mami didn’t die before they had the chance to double-team Walpurgisnaught at the end of the month. Although, it wouldn’t hurt to find some backup…

Sakura Kyoko sat upon the roof of a building. Just at the edge of Kazamino, it had a clear view of Mitakihara, the neighboring city. In her hands, she held dinner: a single box of Pocky. She began to chow down when suddenly an unfamiliar voice called her name. 

“Sakura Kyoko.” A mysterious black-haired girl approached her. “Do you have a minute?”

Judging from her getup, she was also a magical girl. After all, not everyone wore muted white clothes with purple ribbons. Or a shield. Or a soul gem.

Kyoko flashed her giant spear. “And who the hell are you?”

The girl reached behind her shield, and pulled out a bright, red apple. “I’m from Mitakihara.” She tossed it to Kyoko, who caught it. 

“Mitakihara, huh?” Kyoko observed the apple she received. It was clean. Definitely store bought, and recently. A tempting present, especially since apples were her favorite food. Was this an offering gift? But how would- “Oh, I get it.” Kyoko chomped into the apple. “You’re that irregularity that Kyubey talked about, aren’t you?”

The stranger flicked her jet black hair. “It could be said.”

“And what do you want from me?”

“In about three weeks, Walpurgisnacht will descend upon Mitakihara.” 

Kyoko winced. “Walpurgisnacht?”

“I’m asking for your help.” 

“How do you know Walpurgisnacht is coming?”

“Statistics.” 

“I’ve never heard of those statistics…” Kyoko growled. “Ain’t that Tomoe Mami’s territory? Why don’t you ask for her help?”

“I plan on doing so. But I figure it won’t hurt to have more allies.”

Kyouko gave a reluctant sigh. “Alright, I’ll help you out. But I don’t really feel like calling you ‘irregularity’ all the time. What’s your name?”

“Akemi Homura.” She replied.

Kyoko stood up. “Gotta admit, you creep me out a little bit. But I’ll help you out, Akemi Homura.” Kyoko stuck out the box of pocky. “Want some?”

Homura glanced at the box. “I’ll pass.”

“Suit yourself.” Kyoko bit back into the apple. “Guess I’ll be seeing you in three weeks, ‘irregularity.’” Kyoko looked up. Homura had disappeared. She shrugged, and kept at the apple. Strange girl, that Akemi Homura. 

Homura checked the text on the card again. Yep, this was the place. She came a bit early, but it should start in about-

“Ah, Akemi-san.” Tsuda Yumi walked into the waiting room right as the clock ticked 4 pm. “Please, come in.” 

Homura stepped up, and followed Yumi into a small room decorated with a houseplant and some minimalist paintings. A couch sat against a wall, facing two chairs. Next to that was a small end table with a box of disinfectant wipes on top. The place as a whole seemed very… clean. Somewhat befitting of Yumi.

Homura took a seat on the sofa, and Yumi sat on the chair across from her. “So, Homura… how are you today?”

“I’m... “ Homura thought for a second. She didn’t have to answer with the default ‘fine.’ This was her  _ therapist. _ But it’s not like she was feeling bad. In fact, she was feeling quite good. Probably the best she had felt in a while, save for when she was with Madoka. Madoka…

“I’m feeling well, thank you.”

“Ah, I’m glad to hear. So, has anything new happened to you?”

“Well, I tried going on a hike the other day.”

“Oh! How was that?”

“It was nice. I didn’t know Mitakihara had such nice hiking trails. Thank you for the suggestion.”

“That sounds wonderful. You’re very welcome.” 

“But I…” Homura clenched her head. “I keep having these thoughts…”

“What kind of thoughts?”

“I… can’t help but want Madoka. I feel like she’s the solution to all of my problems.”

“Why’s that?”

“She’s so nice to me. Even when she doesn’t need to be. She’s the one person who ever saw me for who I truly am. Like she’s perfect. But I know she’s not. I know she can’t…  _ fix _ me. I know she isn’t… some goddess. But I… I just can’t help myself.”

“Do you believe… you are unworthy of Madoka’s affection?”

“Yes.”

“Do you feel the need to protect her?”

“From anything.” 

“Homura.” Yumi called. Homura stared straight at her. “It’s very good that you’re able to recognize the issue you’re having. In fact, realizing you have the issue is the first step to being able to solve it.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Tell me, what do you do when you think of Madoka in this way?”

“I… I try to stop myself. I realize that… well, that I’m obsessed. That Madoka isn’t perfect, and that I shouldn’t be putting her on a pedestal.”

“Good! Very good. Well, that’s… actually what I was going to recommend you do.”

“Oh, really?” Homura couldn’t help but feel slightly proud of herself.

“Yes, really.” Yumi laughed a little bit. “Although, you could try adding deep breaths to your routine.”

“Like meditation?”

“Kind of. Just closing your eyes, and breathing slowly. It helps you relax. But you’re free to try meditation if you like.” 

“That’s not something I’ve ever considered…”

“We could meditate here, if you like.”

“Sure. Why not?”

“Alright. Would you like to be on the couch or on the floor?”

“Does it matter?”

“Not really, but if this is your first time, you can stay there.”

“Yeah, sure.” 

“Now, I’m going to ask you to close your eyes.”

Homura nodded, and sealed her eyelids.

“Move your attention to your breath. Breathe slowly through your nose…” Yumi made a loud, sniffing noise. “And let it out through your mouth. Feel your lungs expand and contract with each breath.”

Homura did as she was told. She felt the air flow through her body.

“If there is any stiffness in your body, relax those areas.”

Homura realized she had been holding her shoulders up. She eased herself, let them down, and went back to focusing on her breathing.

“If your mind starts to wander off, just dismiss it and bring your attention back to yourself.”

Homura’s breathing remained stable. She felt herself be brought into a different plane. Here, in the space between consciousness and oblivion, there was peace, held together by the light pulsation of her body. And Homura was the only resident in this absence of order. Homura was… tranquil. 

“Homura?”

“Huh?” Homura was broken out from the astral void.

“Oh, sorry, did I interrupt you? I just thought, since it’s been five minutes…”

“Five minutes?”

“Yes, I was planning to have you meditate for 2 minutes, but…”

“Oh, it’s fine. I feel… very refreshed, actually.” It was true. Homura’s body had somehow reinvigorated itself. In fact, more so than it would with a grief seed. She had a feeling that her soul gem may have glowed brighter if she summoned it out, but… maybe later.

“Is that so? I’m glad to hear. Will you be… practicing meditation more, by any chance?”

Homura thought about the implications this could have. A way to clear soul gems without having to use a grief seed? This was… insane. However, if all magical girls were to do this, there would be no one to clear out the witches. Homura should keep this a secret… at least, for the time being. Come to think of it… didn’t this happen to Homura earlier?

“Yeah… Yeah, I think I will. Thanks.”

“It’s no problem. Just remember, Homura…”

“Hmmm?”

“You’re worthy of love. Just as everyone else is. So you should love yourself first.”

“But-”

“No buts. Prioritize yourself. Can I ask one thing of you?”

“Uh, sure…”

“Try to distance yourself from Madoka. At least, as much as possible. I know it’s hard. But I believe you can do it.” 

“I…” Homura’s mind flashed to school. She didn’t have any friends… except Madoka. Sayaka was also in her class, but they weren’t close. And besides, Sayaka would probably spend most of her time with Madoka. And to everyone else, she was just the weird transfer student that tripped in front of the class.

“I don’t have any other friends…” Homura sniffled.

“Well, you can start with me.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll be your friend, Homura.”

Homura didn’t know what to say. She looked down, and let out a small, “Thanks,” before sighing, and whispering, “Can I have a hug?”

Yumi stood up, and held her arms out wide. Homura slowly walked over, and wrapped herself in Yumi’s sweet embrace. 

After 30 seconds, Homura let go.

“Feeling better?” Yumi asked.

“Yes.” Homura nodded. “Thank you.”

As another day of school came, Homura found herself… isolated. Avoiding eye contact with Madoka didn’t come easy to her, and she ended up looking straight at the floor for the entire period. She didn’t have the confidence to talk to anyone else in class, let alone when their first impression of her was a dunce who fell flat on her face. Weirdly enough, she could barely remember the names of all her classmates, despite having spent years repeating this same month over and over. And now that she thought about it… that was a bit concerning.

As soon as lunch started, Homura left for the last place anyone else would think to sit. The roof. Once again… she was completely alone. The distant bustling of the city streets rang through the skies. Mitakihara held nearly endless possibilities… and yet, Homura was tied to the ribbon of fate that led to Madoka. Did she really want this? Is all the pain and suffering even worth it?

Homura sighed. She should have never made this rotten wish. She should have never befriended madoka. She should have never even enrolled in this school. She hated herself. She hated her past, everything she’d done, every choice she’d ever made leading up to this very moment. She hated-

“Oh, hello, Akemi-san.” Homura turned around. Mami came with a full tea set on a platter. “Do you mind if I sit with you?”

“No, go ahead. But uh, one question.”

“Yes?”   
“Are you having a tea party?”

“Well, only for myself.” Mami took a sip from a teacup.

“Would it be too much trouble if I joined?”

“I suppose not, no.”

Homura took a spare teacup from the platter, and poured tea into it.

“So... any particular reason you have a tea set at school?”

“Not really. I just thought it would be fun. To be frank, I didn’t think I’d have anyone to share it with…”

“And yet you brought multiple cups.” Homura brought the liquid to her mouth. The hot taste brought a refreshing sensation through her body. “Although… I can’t say I’m complaining.”

“Do you like tea, Akemi-san?”

“My feelings on it are neutral. But this tea is good.”

“Thank you. I brew it myself.”

“You must really enjoy tea.”

“Yes, you could say that.” 

“So… why’d you come up here? Isn’t it a bit windy?”

“Ah…” Mami stared at the cityscape. “Akemi-san, do you mind if I ask a somewhat personal question?”

“I suppose not…”

“Do you… have a lot of friends?”

Homura looked to Mami. “No… not really.”

Mami forced a smile. “Me neither.” Homura could tell Mami’s smile hid years of loneliness behind it. She knew the feeling, after all.

“I’m assuming your contact with Miki-san has been limited.”

“Yes. I’m afraid the opportunity for bonding hasn’t presented itself.”

A moment of silence fell over the two. Both of them looked at the city surrounding them, sipping their tea. Homura glanced over to the magical girl beside her - the only other one in Mitakihara - and realized there was a question she wanted to ask.

“Tomoe-san… by any chance, would you like to be friends?”

“I’d love that.”

Mami Tomoe walked out of class feeling quite excited. Today, she made her first friend in a long while, and they were both magical girls to boot. This was the start of a new chapter. They were going to hunt witches together, and hold tea parties, and eat ice cream, and whatever else friends do. 

That reminded Mami. She needed grief seeds. It had been a while since her soul gem was last cleansed. Seeing as she didn’t have too much homework today, it was an opportune time to hunt witches.

Following the glow of her soul gem, Mami was led to Mitakihara hospital. She hated witches that cowered here. Feasting on the weak, and waiting for more to come in… It was truly vicious. And right now, the crack of a labyrinth lie in a wall. Mami stowed her fear, and marched into the distorted realm of evil.

After wandering through a maze decorated with what seemed to be otherworldly designs of sweets, Mami came across a terrified girl with blue hair. 

“Hey… get away!” She yelled, kicking at small, round, polka-dotted familiars.

Mami quickly shot them away, catching the girl’s attention. “There’s no need to worry. I’ll keep you safe.” Mami called.

“Oh, thank you so much…” The girl looked to Mami. “Wait, who are you? And what’s with that getup?”

Mami chuckled. “I’m Tomoe Mami. I’m a magical girl who hunts witches.” Mami noticed the uniform the girl was wearing. “Oh, are you a second year at Mitakihara middle school?”

“Uh… yeah. My name is Miki Sayaka. I came to the hospital to see my friend, but I somehow ended up in this… place.”

Miki Sayaka. The girl Homura mentioned. Come to think of it, she was probably going to visit Kamijo Kyousuke.

“Then let’s get you out of here, shall we?” Mami grabbed Sayaka’s hand. “I wouldn’t want any of my juniors to get hurt.” 

“H-huh? Well, alright…”

Sayaka followed Mami closely, as she led her out of the labyrinth.

“So, Mami-san…” Sayaka started. “What exactly is a magical girl?”

“Well, we hunt down evil witches who like to torment humans.” Mami stated. “There’s a bit more to it, but that’s the general gist.”

“So, you’re like a superhero?”

“In a way, yes.” 

“Wow. That’s… pretty cool, actually.”

The dessert witch erupted in a show of flames, lowering it to the ground. Homura had just stuffed its throat full of explosives, killing it along with its labyrinth. The walls around Homura faded, and she was sent back into the normal world, where she saw Mami and Sayaka talking to each other. Homura hid behind a corner, and tried to listen in.

“Thanks for saving me.” Sayaka said. “You looked really cool back there.”

“It’s my pleasure. And thank you.” Mami replied.

“Well, I’ve gotta go see my friend now. He’s feeling way better, and we’re celebrating. See you later, Mami-san!”

“Have fun!”

Sayaka rushed into the building, and Homura walked out from her hiding spot, holding a grief seed. “Do you need this?” She asked, tossing the blackened jewel to Mami.

Mami breathed a sigh of relief. “Yes, actually. Is this from the witch that was just here?”

“Yes, it is.” Normally, Homura would lambast Mami for letting a witch get away, but considering that specific one was the cause of her death in multiple previous timelines, she decided to let it fly.

“Thank you.” Mami tapped her soul gem to the grief seed, absolving it of all the grunge it had accumulated.

“Still working together, I see.” Kyubey announced.

“You…” Homura brooded.

Mami flicked the grief seed to Kyubey, who promptly caught it with the teardrop-shaped hole in his back. 

“Now, now…” Mami conceded. “Maybe he has something important to say.”

“No, but I believe Akemi Homura does.” 

Homura bit her lip. “Just how much do you know?”

“I should be the one asking that question.” Kyubey responded.

Homura ignored the incubator. “In a little over two weeks, a devastating witch known as Walpurgisnacht will come to Mitakihara. I’ll be needing your help to take it down. I’ve already enlisted the assistance of Sakura Kyoko, from Kazamino city.” 

“Walpurgisnacht?” Mami considered. “I’ve never heard the name. But yes, I’ll aid you. You and Sakura-san.” 

“Thank you, Tomoe-san. You are truly reliable.”

“No.” Mami shook her head. “Thank you, Akemi-san. There’s no one else I’d rather fight beside.”

Homura smiled. She knew there was one person she’d rather fight alongside, but refused to bring it up.

“What I’m interested in is how you figured this out.” Kyubey stated. “I, for one, didn’t even know the location Walpurgisnacht would land in.”

“I already said, didn’t I?” Homura replied. “Statistics.”

“If you insist. Although, I doubt the validity of the ‘statistics’ you have.” 

“Quiet.” Homura snapped. “Before I tape you to another tree.”

Kyubey didn’t respond.

“With that said…” Homura turned back to Mami. “I look forward to the next time we meet.”

“As do I, Akemi-san.” 

“I just have one thing to ask of you.”

“What is it?”

“Keep up your friendship with Miki Sayaka.”

“Oh, um, of course. She seems like a nice girl.”

“Thank you. And goodbye.”

“See you later, Akemi-san.”

  
As she strolled away, Homura couldn’t help but let a smirk on to her face. All of her plans were falling into place, much better than she anticipated. If this lucky streak kept up, she was on track to defeat Walpurgisnaught, and prevent Madoka from contracting entirely. Not to mention, she had  _ friends _ . Friends besides Madoka. Friends she wanted to be around. For the first time in basically forever, Homura was looking forward to what the future held. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Homura struggles with her newfound goals as she prepares for her fight with Walpurgisnacht.

The Mitakihara trees whistled against the cool April wind. In a patch of dirt, Homura sat, meditating. Every malicious idea in her head was slowly annihilated from existence, spawning forth a clean palette of thoughts. Eventually, she reached a nirvana of the mind, and she saw only a black void.

Suddenly, a flame was lit in her brain. Homura lost her focus. Breathing slowly, she attempted to reclaim it. But it was too late. Temptations wriggled their way back into Homura’s consciousness. A pandora’s box of memories opened, and Homura was reminded of the pink-haired girl she deeply craved. The sight of Madoka’s smile was scarred into Homura’s soul, leaving her with an empty sorrow. As much as she hated it, no matter what she did, how hard she tried, she could not escape this heartache. 

Homura opened her eyes, breathing quickly. Her meditation was interrupted by her desire for Madoka, even though they were supposed to stifle those thoughts. Homura sighed. That was enough meditation for today. She felt lonely. And being alone probably wouldn’t help that.

Inside her apartment, Mami was sitting down, working on homework. It wasn’t due for a couple days, but she didn’t have anything else to do, and figured it was best to get them out of the way. Then, her phone rang. It was a number she hadn’t seen before, but she picked up nonetheless. 

“Hello.” Mami said. 

“Is this Tomoe Mami?” The other side asked.

“Yes. Is that Akemi-san’s voice?” 

“Yes, it’s me. I got your number from a phone book.”

“I see. Is there something you needed?”

“Not really. I just wanted to ask if you wanted to go out for ice cream.”

“H-huh?” Mami blushed. “I mean, of course. But, why ask so suddenly?”

“I don’t know.” Homura stated blankly. “I was just bored.” 

“I see…” Mami responded. “I can be ready in 30 minutes. Does the ice cream store downtown sound good to you?”

“That’s the one I had in mind.”

“Alright then. See you in a bit, Akemi-san.”

“See you.” Mami hung up the phone, and pumped her fist. 

The vintage ice cream shop reeked of a bouquet of flavors from under the counter. Homura and Mami both looked over the selection fervently.

Homura, already decided, turned to Mami. “What flavor do you want, Tomoe-san?”

“Hmmm… I’m not sure.” Mami stroked her chin. “The mango flavor seems good. What are you getting?”

“Blueberry.” Homura stated. “It’s my favorite.”

Mami smiled. “It suits you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, nothing. I was just thinking out loud. Speaking of...” Mami scrutinized the mango flavor closely. “I’ll get the mango ice cream.” 

A slight breeze whisked through the park that Mami and Homura decided to eat at. They sat together on a bench, soaking in the view of the field around them. Homura licked her ice cream cone, and instantly a blast of delicious flavor shot through her veins.

“Wow.” Homura’s eyes widened. “It’s been a while since I’ve had ice cream.” 

“Really? How long?” Mami asked.

“Well… it must have been before I was stuck in the hospital for health issues - which was before I transferred into Mitakihara.”

“Health issues, huh…” Mami glanced at Homura. Was her wish to get rid of those health issues? Probably not. All magical girls have at the very least a small healing factor, enough to get rid of some hospital-worthy health issues. And besides, her wish would have something to do with time. Where else would her time stop have come from? But that still begs the question. What did she wish for?

After a brief moment of silence, Mami spoke up. “That must have been terrible.” 

“It was. I’ve gotten over it for the most part, but…” Homura sighed deeply. “I still think about it sometimes.”

“Is it something you need to talk about?”

“No. It’s in the past now. But thanks for offering.”

“I see. You’re a strong person, Akemi-san.” 

“Heh, yeah…”

Mami glanced over to Homura with a hint of concern. 

“I’m sorry.” Homura shook her head. “I don’t really like being this… open to people.”

“Ah, I understand. I should be sorry myself. I didn’t mean to open old wounds.”

“Don’t worry about it. It feels… good talking to you about it.” Homura confessed.

“I-is that so...”

“Yeah.” Homura smiled. “Thanks.”

“No problem.”

They both sat, listening to the sounds of the air, refusing to say anything. A distinct stillness grew between them. Homura swallowed, and tried to break the silence. 

“Say, Mami…” She started. “Have you ever felt like giving up?”

Mami’s head drooped. “Yes. A lot. But, ever since you showed up, I’ve felt a little more… motivated, so to speak.”

“Really?”

“Yes. It might sound silly, but I… I have someone to fight for, you know?”

“I see.” Homura nodded. “I feel something a little similar.” 

“Is that so?”

“Yes. You’re someone I can talk to, and spend time with. It’s definitely something to look forward to, and that’s something I haven’t had for a while.”

“Well, I’m more than happy to fill that role for you.” Mami announced.

“Thank you, Tomoe-san.”

Mami shook her head. “No, I should be the one thanking you.”

“Why don’t we both thank each other?”

“That’s fine too.”

“Also, Tomoe-san…”

“Hmm?”

“Are you going to touch your ice cream?”

Mami looked down. Over the past few minutes, a small puddle of orange water had dripped into her lap.

“...Oops.” 

After finishing off her treat, Mami trashed the remains of the ice cream cone, and faced Homura. “I had a wonderful time, Akemi-san. Despite the mess…” The ice cream droplets from earlier had left a sticky blemish on her skirt.

“I did, too.” Homura replied. “Any interest in doing something like this again?”

“That’d be great. Although, I never took you for the sweets person.” 

“I make exceptions sometimes.”

Mami smirked. “Right.”

“And Tomoe-san…” Homura’s tone made an instant shift. “Don’t forget about Walpurgisnacht.”

“Of course. Just under two weeks now…” Mami looked to the cloudy sky. She could hardly comprehend that some huge, indomitable witch would be coming to Mitakihara, of all places… But even so, she still had no reason to doubt Homura. In fact, she started to trust Homura more than she did Kyubey.

“Sorry.” Homura blurted. “I didn’t mean to spoil the mood.”

“Don’t worry about me. I just spaced out for a second there.” Mami turned to Homura. “I’ll see you later, Akemi-san.”

“See you.”

  
  


When Mami woke up for school, she felt significantly energized from the day beforehand. She wasn’t tired at all, and got out of bed instantly. After eating, taking a shower, and brushing her hair, she had a lot of time left before school started. Since she had nothing else to do, she decided to take a slightly different route to school. Instead of going directly there, she initially walked past the school, and down the small road in front of it. With foliage on one side and a small river on the other, Mami found the path quite luscious. 

While admiring the creek, someone tapped Mami from behind. “Hey, Mami-san.”

Mami turned around, putting her face-to-face with Miki Sayaka, who was accompanied by a short, pink-haired girl. “You said you were a magical girl, right?”

“That’s right.” Mami glanced at Sayaka’s quiet companion. “Who’s your friend here?”

“Oh, that’s Madoka. Some weird cat asked us if we wanted to be magical girls when we were going home yesterday.”

“Weird cat? Oh, do you mean Kyubey?”

“Yes, that’s what he called himself.” Madoka spoke up. “He offered us a contract in exchange for a wish, but I... didn’t really trust him.” 

“I… see. Are you asking me what you should do?”

“Yes.” Madoka and Sayaka both replied.

“Well, I’ll tell you a couple things. Kyubey can indeed grant any wish you desire.”

Madoka and Sayaka gasped in unison.

“Anything?!” Madoka exclaimed.

“However…” Mami shouted. “In exchange, you’ll be risking your life to fight witches.”

“Witches?” Sayaka grimaced. “Like that one from the hospital?”

“Yes.” Mami stated. “So, I’ll ask you this. Is there anything you want - anything at all - that you’d put your life on the line for?”

“Geez.” Sayaka scratched her head. “I don’t really know.”

“Me neither.” Madoka nearly whispered.

“I just had something super-cool happen to me.” Sayaka announced. “Well, to my friend. But it made me happy.” 

“Do you mean Kyousuke?” Madoka asked. 

“Yeah. His recovery was so out-of-the-blue, it kinda felt like magic itself.”

Mami cleared her throat. “Anyway, you two girls have time to think it over. That’s a luxury I didn’t have...”

Mami’s dark reminiscing was interrupted by the loud schoolbell. She felt a small sense of relief, and smiled at Madoka and Sayaka.

“Well, why don’t we head to school now?”

Sayaka nodded, and threw her bag over her shoulder. “Sure, let’s go.”

On the walk there, Madoka pulled on Mami’s ear. “Mami-san…” Madoka whispered. “What’s a witch?” 

Homura was once again waiting in front of Yumi’s office. She found herself strangely excited to tell Yumi about her new friend. Although that was the goal Yumi gave her, Homura didn’t think she would follow through with it. But she didn’t want to seem ungrateful. Homura enjoyed the time she spent with Mami to a great degree. Heck, she’d probably want to befriend Mami even if Yumi didn’t task her with it.

Yumi walked into the room. “Hello there, Akemi-san. Come in.” Homura stood up, and followed Yumi. 

“So, how are you today?” Yumi questioned. “Would you like a disinfectant wipe?”

“I… think I’m doing well. And no thanks.”

Yumi nodded. “Any progress on making friends?”

“Yes, actually. I’ve befriended an upperclassman at my school.”

“An upperclassman, huh? How’d you manage that?”

“She helped me with a… school project. And we hung out some after that.” 

“I see.” Yumi made a small clap with her hands. “Congratulations, Homura.” 

Homura smirked. “Thanks. If I’m being honest, I think it was you that gave me the encouragement to make friends.”

“Is that so?”

“Well, maybe it was only because I wanted to live up to the goal you set me. But I didn’t really have the guts to make friends… well, not until now, I guess.” 

“I’m glad to help. But do you think that hanging out with your friend is stopping the intrusive thoughts you were having?”

“Definitely.”

“Ah, that’s good to hear. Have you still been meditating?”

“Yes. But one of my sessions was… interrupted.”

Yumi tilted her head. “Interrupted? What do you mean?”

“I… I was just reminded of… Madoka.”

“I see.” Yumi caressed her chin. “Did you attempt to focus on yourself? Your body, your breathing and such?”

“I tried. I really did. But I couldn’t…” Homura covered her face with her palm. “I couldn’t contain my own thoughts…”

“Well, think of it this way. You’ve only been trying meditation for one week. You should be proud of the fact that you’re still doing it in the first place. And besides, you’re already very good at it.” 

“You think so?”

“For sure. Not everyone can dive straight into five-minute meditation without any warm up. I’m a bit jealous.”

“Eh, it’s nothing, really…” Homura remarked, scratching the back of her head.

Yumi giggled. “You need to give yourself more credit.”

“Why should I?”

“Well, you’re smart, beautiful, athletic, determined, adaptable…”

Homura started blushing. “Am I really?”

“I think so. Am I wrong?”

Homura swallowed. “A long time ago… a friend of mine told me I had a cool name, and that I should be cool to live up to it. And… I took those words to heart. Ever since then, I’ve aimed to be the best person possible.”

“I would say you already have.”

Homura averted her eyes, blushing. “Really?”

“Of course. If I asked myself, ‘what would someone named Homura be like?’ I’d probably think of someone like you.”

“Sometimes I feel like… I’m still not enough for that name.”

“Why wouldn’t you be?”

“I…” Homura breathed in. Why wouldn’t she be enough for that name? She was great at math. She could take any witch, all on her own. She broke the prefecture wide high jump record. And then broke that record. The only thing she wanted to prove herself to was…

Madoka. That’s right. Homura wanted to prevent her contract. That’s the only thing she’d fought for. The last thing she wanted was for Madoka to turn into a witch. Or worse… have to kill Madoka herself. In Homura’s mind, she could still remember when Madoka asked her to go back and stop the contract altogether. Homura could still remember the tears on Madoka’s face, when she remarked that she didn’t want to become a witch. Homura could still remember pulling the gun to Madoka’s soul gem, and pulling the trigger. 

She wished she could forget. 

“H-Homura?”

Homura was so lost in thought, she didn’t realize that she had been crying her eyes out.

“I’m sorry, did I remind you of something painful?”

“M-maybe…” Homura muttered, wiping her tears. “But… I don’t really want to talk about it right now.”

“It’s alright.” Yumi pushed up her glasses. “I understand. We can save it for a future session, if you’d like.”

Homura wondered what telling a normal person about the world of magical girls would bring. Kyubey, wishes, witches, and the warriors that defeat them, only to turn into one… A normal human wouldn’t believe Homura. She decided it wasn’t worth it. Although Homura did want to discuss her trauma with Yumi, she couldn’t come up with an alibi right now.

“That would be nice.” Homura stated.

Yumi nodded. “Well, then Homura… will that be all for today?”

“Yes. Thank you. I needed to get that all off of my chest.”

“It’s no problem. Goodbye for now, Homura.” Yumi flashed her a confident thumbs up.

Homura smiled. “Goodbye.” She said, as she left through the door. 

Sayaka casually sipped her café soda. Sat across the table from her was Tomoe Mami. Mami was asked by Sayaka to come with her here for what Sayaka dubbed 'something personal.'

"So..." Mami started. "What do you need?"

"Well..." Sayaka scratched her cheek. "Do you remember how I mentioned that a friend of mine was recently released from the hospital?" 

"Yes, I recall." 

"Well, I... sort of have something I want to tell him. But... I'm worried that he won't like it."

If Sayaka was trying to hide the fact that she had a crush on Kyousuke, she was failing miserably. And although Mami didn't have much experience in the field of love, she was willing to give Sayaka good advice. At least, she thought it was.

"Well, if you want to tell him something, then you should, right?" 

"But, uh..." Sayaka gloomed. "I'm a bit scared." 

"Think about it this way." Mami stated. "Regret is far worse than fear. Even if he rejects you, at least you'll live with the knowledge that he wasn't the right one."

Sayaka blanked. "Huh. You're right." Sayaka got up, and announced "Alright, I'll go confess to him right now! Thanks, Mami-san!" before running off. She didn't even bother to bring her cup. 

Tossing another stick of pocky in her mouth, Kyoko wandered the Mitakihara outskirts. Although she didn't know where exactly she was going, she did have someone she wanted to see. Kyubey had told her that Homura had been spending a lot of time in this forest, and since they'd be fighting Walpurgisnaucht in a week, Kyoko wanted to check in with her partner before the big day. Just as Kyoko was starting to get lost, she walked into a strong magic aura. 

"Woah!" She accidentally spit out her pocky, and fearing a witch, she instinctively changed into her magical girl outfit. Kyoko was worried. She never felt such raw, thunderous energy in her entire magical girl career. Heck, she might have had to book it. She was completely unprepared for a huge foe, but even so, she pressed on. Kyoko approached what she estimated to be the source of the power, and brushing her way through shrubbery, it revealed... 

"Homura?!" 

Homura opened her eyes. She was sitting in the dirt, seemingly meditating. That is, until Kyoko interrupted. "Oh, hello, Sakura-san."

Kyoko looked around. The terrifying aura had dissipated from the air. 

"Was... was that you?" 

"Was what me?" Homura turned to face Kyoko. "And why are you in your magical girl outfit?"

"I felt something weird in the air. Something crazy powerful. I thought it was a witch. Nearly scared me out of my pants. But apparently... it's just you meditating." 

"Now that you mention it..." Homura clenched her fist, which created a large gust of wind. Kyoko's hair flew black, and dropped her staff. Nearby leaves were swept completely away. Surrounding birds had flown off. "I have been feeling a bit more confident in my magic." 

"A bit?!" Kyouko shouted. "You could kill a witch by looking at them funny! You're like some anime hero! When did you get so strong?!" 

"I'm not too sure myself." Homura's eyes glanced over her hand, and she brought out her soul gem from her palm. It had an intense glow that illuminated the surrounding area. 

"What the-?" Kyoko shielded her eyes. The jewel was bright like a star, and it hurt to stare at. Typically, the brightness of a soul gem corresponded with how much magic one has left, and it grew murkier with use, up until the point a grief seed is needed. But Homura’s soul gem had somehow gained an unfathomably large reservoir of magic. Did it have something to do with that meditating?

Homura seemed to be mesmerized by her own soul gem, as if she had never seen it in her life, before exhaling and retracting it back into a small ring on her finger. 

"Even with all this power, I still don't know if it's enough to kill Walpurgisnaucht." Homura admitted.

"Seriously?" Kyoko growled, rubbing her eyes. "You've got two other magical girls on your side. I think we'll be fine." Kyoko picked her staff back up from the ground. "Hell, with the shape you're in, you could probably kill it all by yourself."

Homura sighed. "I really hope you're right..."

Kyoko hauled her staff over her shoulder. "Well, I only came here to check in on you. And you look like you're doing pretty well for yourself." Kyoko reverted back into her normal clothes.

"Thanks for coming to check in on me, Sakura-san. I appreciate it."

"Yeah, no problem." Kyoko folded her arms behind her head in a relaxed fashion. "See you later."

"Bye. See you in a week."

Kyoko lazily waved her off, and wandered back into the forest. That Akemi Homura... she really is an irregularity. 

The school bell rang, and Homura headed out of the classroom. As she did so, Homura realized Madoka was tailing a bit behind her. She thought nothing of it at first. But then, Madoka's pace quickened. 

Homura walked past Madoka's normal route to school, and Madoka continued to follow her. In fact, Madoka had broken out into a small run to catch up with Homura. 

Homura was prepared to escape the scene. She was determined to limit their interaction to the bare minimum. Although it was tempting to spend time with Madoka, Homura’s resolve was strong as steel. And nothing on earth would convi-

"Homura-chan!" 

"Yes, Madoka?" Homura responded instinctively.

"I... there's something I want to talk to you about."

"What is it?" 

"You're a magical girl, aren't you?" 

Homura exhaled in relief. She thought the topic would be something heavier, which she definitely was not prepared for. Still, she was a little surprised Madoka was able to guess that on her own.

"Yes, I am. If you're asking whether you should be a magical girl or not, the answer is no."

"Oh, no, that's not it. I just wanted clarification."

"Then, there you have it." Homura exaggerated a hair flick.

"One more thing." Madoka perked. 

"What is it?" 

"Homura-chan... it feels like you've been avoiding me."

Homura’s heart stopped. Her eyes sunk and her mind filled with the black void of despair.

"I don't know." Madoka continued. "I feel like... you wanted to be good friends with me. And I still want to be your friend. That's why I booked you a session with Tsuda-san. I didn't want you to feel bad. But... I'm still sorry if I hurt you."

"Madoka..." Homura used every gram of willpower in her body to resist breaking down and crying right there. She took a deep breath, and instantly was calmed. "Madoka. I'm sorry if it seems like I'm avoiding you. But... it's because I don't want to hurt you. Yumi made me realize something. She made me realize..." Homura gulped. "She made me realize that I rely too much on you for my happiness. And that's not how I should be living. Madoka, I've decided that I want you to see the best me. So, I'll improve myself. And when I'm ready... you can see who I truly am."

"Homura-chan..." Madoka was stunned. She was silent for a little bit, before perking up. "I think you're doing a good job already."

Homua smiled. "Do you really think so?" 

"Of course. Improve as much as you need to, Homura-chan."

"I will."

Madoka nodded. "I'll see you then!" 

"Bye-bye!" Homura waved her off. It was not until Madoka disappeared from her sight that the past two minutes caught up with Homura. Despite attempting to avoid Madoka, Homura just revealed her deepest feelings to her. And yet... it left her determined. Homura's reason to fight had changed. Of course, she still wanted to prevent Madoka from contracting. But now, she had something to live up to. Herself. And that was something attainable. She'd already proven that she can improve herself and make a friend. All that was left... was defeating Walpurgisnacht. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Homura remembers what she fights for.

Homura sat outside Yumi’s office. 

2 days until Walpurgisnacht.

This might be their last time together. At least, with ‘this’ Yumi. Homura could always give up and go back. But… she didn’t want to. There was a voice deep, deep within her that said over, and over, and over again, ‘this is the timeline.’ 

She hoped it was correct.

“Ah, hello, Akemi-san!” Yumi clasped her hands together. “Please, come in.” 

Homura nodded solemnly. 

Yumi looked at Homura with concern. “Homura… is something the matter?”

Homura gulped, and mentally prepared herself for what she was about to say. “Yumi-san… There is a storm coming to Mitakihara. You should evacuate the city as soon as you can.”

“Huh?”

“It will be here in two days. Please, pack everything you need and leave.” 

“I…” Yumi adjusted her glasses. “I haven’t heard anything about this. Are you sure there’s a storm?”

“Absolutely positive.” 

“Homura… and not to say that I doubt you, but… how would you know about a storm before the weather station?”

Homura grimaced. She knew this conversation was inevitable, but that still didn’t make it any easier. “Yumi-san… would you believe me if I told you there was a secret side to me that I can’t give you details about?” 

“Homura…” Yumi blinked. “You’re not doing anything illegal, are you?”

“No! No, of course not.” Homura huffed, before remembering that stealing supplies from a Yakuza office is, most definitely, illegal. She decided to forget about it for the time being.

“Well, alright. Yes, I would believe you. If I’m being honest, I’ve felt like there’s a part of you that you’ve purposely avoided talking about for a while now.”

“Oh.” Homura frowned.

Yumi chuckled. “Sorry. Was that too personal?”

“Maybe.”

“Alright. I won’t mention it again.” 

“You… nevermind. Let’s just say I’ve known about this storm for a while now. And I…” Homura shuddered. “I’m worried about it.”

“What about it worries you?”

“My…” Homura started to tear up. “My friend was killed in a storm… years ago. I’m worried… something like that might happen again.”

“I’m very sorry to hear. I can see why it would be traumatic for you.”

“Thank you.” Homura’s tears kept falling. “I’m sorry, I just… need a tissue.” Homura reached for the canister on the end table next to her, only for Yumi to stop her.

“Those are disinfectant wipes. They have alcohol in them. They’ll burn up your face. Here.” Yumi handed Homura a tissue box. “Use these instead.”

Homura pulled a tissue from the box, and wiped at her eyes. “Thank you.”

Yumi gave her a small nod.

“I’m scared. Homura admitted. “Yumi… this could be our last session.”

Yumi’s face bore an expression of concern. “What makes you say that? You’re not worried that you’ll die in the storm, are you?”

“I am. I’ve prepared for it, but I’m still...“ Homura wiped at her face. “I still don’t think I can survive it.” 

“Don’t say that.” Yumi commanded. “Homura, you prepared for this storm before I even knew about it. Before the weather station knew about it. You’re probably the person most likely to live through it.” 

“But…” Homura sniffed. All her memories of the timelines ending hit her at once. Every time, she failed. Whether it was being defeated by Walpurgisnacht, losing all her friends, or watching Madoka turn into a witch… it only hurt more each time. The despair of the endless cycle was starting to bear its weight on her. “Whenever I think about how my friend died to one…” Homura was unable to finish her sentence. She was bawling, and had to cover her face. Yumi only looked at her, understandingly.

“It’s okay to be scared, Homura. Even I get scared sometimes. But I wholeheartedly believe you will survive this storm. I don’t think there’s anyone more capable.”

Homura sniffed, and wiped her tears. Yumi was right. Homura was more powerful than ever right now. Not to mention she had the help of both Kyoko and Mami, two of the best fighters she knew. She was more than prepared. She was strong. And she didn’t need to worry about Madoka sacrificing her life. “Thank you…” Homura whimpered. “It means a lot.”

“Of course. It’s no problem.”

“So, Homura, tell me.” Yumi stated. “How have you been handling your… intrusive thoughts?”

“Intrusive thoughts? Oh, do you mean Madoka?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I… How do I put this? I’ve been doing better… I think.”

“Is that so?”

“But…” Homura fidgeted. “I had a run-in with Madoka the other day.”

“What sort of run-in?”   
"I… she asked if I was avoiding her."

"What did you tell her?"

"I said to her… that I don't want her to see me at a low point. That I wanted to improve before we could be together."

Yumi tilted her head. "Be together?" 

"As friends!" Homura blurted. "Together as friends."

Yumi giggled. "Of course, of course. Homura, you did the right thing. I don't know if I could have done better myself."

"What do you mean?"

"Well… you really like Madoka, right? If I had to restrain myself from talking to someone I liked, I don't think I could. Especially if they approached me first. It seems to me that you've grown a lot since our first session."

Homura pouted. “Do you think I’ve grown… enough?”

“I can’t tell you if you’ve grown enough.” Yumi responded. “That’s for you to decide.”

Homura nodded. “I see.”

“Do you personally think you’ve grown enough?”

Homura shook her head. “Not yet. There’s something I have to do.”

“Oh? What is it?”

“Something… personal.”

“Something from your ‘secret side,’ I presume?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Yumi smirked. “I see. Are you going to go through with it?”

Homura nodded. “Of course.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” Yumi stretched her shoulder. Exhaling, she said, “Well, I think that would be a good ending point. Do you want to schedule a meeting for next week?”

Homura took a deep breath. “No. Not yet.”

“I understand. Goodbye for now, Homura.” 

“Farewell.”

As Homura stood up to exit the room, Yumi stated, “Good luck.”

“Thank you.” Homura replied, without turning around. “For everything.”

“Mami-san, could you pass the sugar?” Sayaka asked.

Mami leaned over, and pushed the cup of white powder across the table. “There you are.”

“Thanks.” Sayaka poured a spoonful into her cup of tea, and took a sip.

Mami had invited both Madoka and Sayaka over for a small tea party at her apartment. Sayaka was very eager to attend, and it nearly looked like she dragged Madoka along. Still, Madoka seemed to be enjoying herself. Glancing over, Madoka had a small grin on her face while eating some of Mami’s signature cake.

“Mami-san,” Madoka perked up. “Did you invite Homura-chan here?”

“I did, but she told me she had an appointment.” Mami responded.

“Oh, ok.” Madoka lowered her gaze to the table with a frown.

“Are you two friends?” Mami inquired.

“It’s… complicated.” 

“I see.”

“Are you still talking with her?” Sayaka questioned. “Isn’t she a total creep?”

Madoka shook her head. “No, not at all. She’s very nice.”

“Really?” 

“Yes, she is.” Mami agreed. “She’s been a good friend of mine for around two weeks.”

Sayaka leaned back on her hands. “Huh. Shows what I know.”

“Hey, Sayaka-chan…” Madoka turned her head. “Didn’t you confess to Kamijo-kun?”

“Eh?” Sayaka blushed. “Why are you bringing this up in front of Mami-san?”

“I don’t think she’d really mind.” Madoka responded absentmindedly.

Mami covered her mouth to giggle.

“That’s not what I meant…” Sayaka sighed. “Well, he rejected me.”

“Oh… I’m sorry.” Madoka said.

“No, it’s fine. I’m at least glad I was able to give it a shot. Besides, we’re still on good terms.” Sayaka winked at Mami. “I’ll find someone, someday.”

“Wow…” Madoka gaped. “Very mature, Sayaka-chan!”

Sayaka raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying I’m not mature?”

“Ehehe…”

Mami set down her teacup, and cleared her throat. “So, have you two decided if you’ll become magical girls or not?”

“I don’t think I’ll take the offer. Seems a bit risky, especially since there’s nothing crazy huge that I want. Plus, I have things I don’t want to miss.” Sayaka gazed longingly out the window. “ Like Kyosuke’s performance in a couple of weeks…”

“I see.” Mami took a quick sip of her tea. “What about you, Madoka?”

“I think I’ll wait on it. For the moment, at least. I don’t know anything I’d be willing to give my life for.”

Mami nodded. “Thinking it though is a very good idea.”

“But…” Madoka murmured. “There is one thing that worries me.” 

“What might that be?”

“It’s… Homura-chan. I think she might be too hard on herself.”

Mami blinked. “What do you mean?”

“I’m not sure. But… I feel like she’s after something. I don’t know what. It’s like she knows something, and she’s keeping it from me. From all of us.”

Mami narrowed her eyes. “Such as something that might happen in the future?”

“Not just that. I think she knows things about me that I haven’t told her.”

Mami set her tea cup down. Indeed, she and Madoka felt the same way. Homura not only had known about Walpurgisnacht ahead of time, but Kamijo Kyousuke, and Mami’s wish. But if Homura had wished exclusively for knowledge, her powers may have revolved around foresight, and not time stopping. The fact that Homura seemed especially driven to take down Walpurgisnacht was slightly questionable as well. But what sort of wish could she have made? Mami had a theory. And the only person she could ask about it… would be Homura herself. 

“It’s probably because she’s stalking you, Madoka.” Sayaka teased. “You aren’t cheating on me, are you?”

“Hey! It’s not like that!” Madoka pouted.

“Oh? If it’s not like that, why are you blushing?” Sayaka retorted smugly.

“Well… It’s…” Madoka’s face was bright red.

“Madoka, you shameless girl! It sounds like you need some punishment!”

“Ahem!” Mami shouted, grabbing the attention of the two other girls in the room. “Let’s not be too rowdy at the table.” She asked with a smile.

The large, mechanical pendulum made a low moan as it swung from the ceiling. Framed runes hovered across the wall of this white void as a cluster of gears hung overhead. Akemi Homura’s residence.

Sitting around a circle of benches were three magical girls. Homura, Kyoko and Mami. 

“So…” Kyoko leaned over. “What’s your plan for tomorrow, Homura?”

“Walpurgisnacht will be attacking around this part of the city,” Homura replied, pointing to a map of Mitakihara. “Kyoko, since you’re a close range fighter, Mami can help you get near the witch. Mami, create a bridge with your ribbons, and you two can operate from there. 

Mami turned to Homura. “What about you?”

“I’ll focus on shooting it from a distance. I’ve been stockpiling weapons over the past month, so I don’t need to worry about ammo.”

“Ammo?” Kyoko tilted her head. “As in, guns?”

“That’s correct.”

“What about all that physical power?” Kyoko made a punching motion with her hands. “You seemed pretty strong back in that forest. Can’t you throw hands with Walpurgisnacht?”

“Throw hands, huh…” Homura weighed her options. In all of the previous timelines, she used guns, missiles, bombs, mines, whatever she could get her hands on. Every time, none of them worked. Only when paired with Madoka could she defeat Walpurgisnacht. But now, she had a unique opportunity. She’d come a long way from her days with golf clubs. As Kyoko pointed out, ‘throwing hands’ with Walpurgisnacht could lead to its destruction. And after taking chances with so many things over the past month…

“It’s worth a shot.” Homura proclaimed.

“Physical powers?” Mami asked. “What kind of physical po-”

Homura gripped her fist, blowing a huge ripple of air throughout the room. The pictures on the walls shook. Mami held onto her hair drills before they were nearly blown off her head. Kyoko grinned. As the wind died down, Mami nodded her head in approval.

“Impressive.” Mami stated.

“Alright, Me and Kyoko will try to get close. Mami, you support us with your guns.”

“Got it.”

“I like this plan, Homura!” Kyoko slapped Homura’s back. “We should get some ramen afterwards to celebrate.”

“None of the stores will be open. All of the citizens will be in the storm shelter up north.”

“Well, we can ‘borrow’ some, don’t you think?” Kyoko nudged Homura’s elbow.

“Sakura-san…” Mami sighed. “We can’t be stealing anything. We’re magical girls. People should look up to us.”

“Don’t you think some of the food would be wiped away by the storm, anyway? May as well not let it go to waste.” 

Homura scratched her chin. “Well, when you put it that way...”

“Homura…” Mami shook her head. “Not you too.”

Homura cleared her throat. “In any case, Walpurgisnacht is a powerful foe, but I do think we can beat it, if we stick to the plan.”

“You speak like you’ve fought it before.” Mami replied. 

“I haven’t. I was just reading statistics.”

“I see.” Mami turned to Kyoko. “Sakura-san, would you mind leaving for one second? There’s something I’d like to discuss privately with Akemi-san.”

“Sure.” Kyoko got up, and stretched her arms. “Where’s the fridge?”

Homura raised an eyebrow, and glared at Kyoko.

“Uh… I’ll wait outside.”

“So then. What is it you’d like to discuss.” 

“Homura. You’re a time traveler here to warn us about Walpurgisnacht, aren’t you?”

“H-huh?”

“I mean, you just showed up one day, knowing everything, and your only goal is defeating Walpurgisnacht. Clearly, you learned about everything in the future, and then Walpurgisnacht destroyed the whole city. You wished for time powers, so you could travel back to now and prepare all of us. And that’s where your time stop power came from.”

“Uh… Yeah.” Homura nodded vehemently. “That’s right. You got it.”

“Oh, really? I thought it was a bit of a stretch. Plus, I don’t know why you would-”

“Nope, you were spot on.” Homura interjected. “Now, uh… is that all you needed?”

“Yes, it was. I’ll tell Kyoko to come back inside.”

Mami glanced around. “Oh, it must be getting late. But it’s cold outside… Homura, would you mind if I slept here for the night?”

Homura opened her mouth to decline, but as she did, Kyoko blurted, “Eh? I was about to ask if I could crash here.”

“That’d be wonderful! We could all stay here, like a sleepover.” Mami beamed. “What do you say, Homura?”

Homura rolled her eyes, and swallowed her pride. Maybe she didn’t want them to stay over. But moreso, she didn’t want to disappoint her friend. Upsetting someone like Mami was hard, and as a result, a rare frown from her was especially disheartening. “Fine. You can both stay. We’ll be going to the same place in the morning, anyway.”

Kyoko gave a light smirk while Mami covered her mouth to chuckle. “You don’t sound especially excited about it,” Mami observed.

Homura huffed. “It’s fine. Let me get out the futons.”

With the lights turned out, Homura, Mami and Kyoko all sat in their futons. But Homura found herself unable to sleep. Tomorrow was the big day. If she failed, she’d have to start this whole month over again. Yumi… Mami… even Kyoko, to an extent… all the memories they shared together would mean nothing. Not to mention, if she screwed up bad, there was the possibility of turning into a witch herself. It scared her. Even after endlessly repeating this time loop… Walpurgisnacht still scared her.

Just then, Homura heard a small fidget. “Hey, Akemi-san…” Mami whispered. “Are you awake?”

“...Yeah.”

“Can’t sleep?”

“Yeah.”

“Me neither.”

“...Mmm.” 

“Akemi-san… are you worried?”

“A little bit.”

“Me too.”

Mami went silent for a second, and then asked, “In the future, where you’re from… how strong is Walpurgisnacht?”

“...Strong. It can’t even be pierced by normal bullets.”

“I see. Do you think we can beat it?”

“Obviously.” Kyoko cut in. “Maybe you can’t beat it by yourself, but the three of us combined definitely stand a chance.”

“Sorry. Did we wake you up, Sakura-san?” Mami asked.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Sakura-san…” When Homura started to think about it, Kyoko was sort of the ideal magical girl. Independent and ruthless, but still wise enough to know her limit. In a way, she may have been smarter than Homura, despite never going to school. If Kyoko was confident, Homura had no reason to doubt her. “I think you’re right.”

“That so?” Kyoko replied smugly. “Guess we’ll find out tomorrow.”

“We should at least try to get some sleep first.” Mami commanded.

“You’re the one who woke me up,” Kyoko scoffed. “Whatever. Goodnight, Mami. Homura.”

“Goodnight.” Mami whispered.

Homura didn’t say anything, and then drifted to sleep.

Homura, Mami, and Kyoko, all fitted in their magical girl uniforms, stood boldly before a cluster of clouds. Thunder roared throughout the city. The sky started twisting, and mist fell to the ground below. 

“It’s here.” Homura barked, and the other two winced in response.

A coat of steam covered the lake in front of them, and eventually they were all wrapped in a thick fog. A tiny, doll-like familiar ran them, only to get crushed under the hoof of a green elephant familiar. An entire carnival of familiars, complete with balloons, carts of caged animals and streamers connected to an unknown source walked past, as Homura ushered her companions through the parade.

Eventually, the curtain of clouds was raised, and a shock was felt through the ground. Surrounding buildings were pulled into the sky. A figure coated in an ornate dress and attached to a gear was revealed. Otherworldly laughs echoed through the air.

Walpurgisnacht.

“Let’s go!” Kyoko shouted, running towards the witch. Homura and Mami followed behind.

“Kyoko! Get on the buildings!” Homura commanded, jumping high in the air.

“R-right!”

Mami summoned a bouquet of muskets, all of which fired at the monster. The bullets didn’t make a scratch. Walpurgisnacht blew a multicolored flame towards Mami, and she ducked for cover.

Kyoko chucked her unhooked spear, chaining Walpurgisnacht’s head. 

“Bring it close!” Homura shouted, and Kyoko yanked the witch towards them. Walpurgisnacht screamed, and Homura jumped in close, hitting it in the jaw with a powerful punch. The witch was knocked away, with a wound on its face.

“You got it!” Kyoko yelled.

Mami leaped onto another building. “Tiro Finale!” She cried, blasting Walpurgisnacht with a massive cannon. As the witch flew in an opposite direction, Mami wrapped her hair ribbon around a telephone pole. She jumped, and swung herself to the opposing skyscraper, chasing after Walpurgisnacht. 

But the pole broke. 

Mami’s pupils dilated. Time seemed to freeze. Her hands fell cold. Is this how her life ended? Falling from the top of a huge building? She didn’t want to die. Not here. Not when her friends needed her. Not after they spent all that time together. She still had things she wanted to do. Places she wanted to see. People she wanted to be with. With a desperate breath, she called out to the person she cared for the most. “HOMURA!” 

All of the sudden, Mami cleared the gap without any trouble. She looked back at the telephone pole she had lassoed. It had been stuck together with wads of duct tape. Mami smiled, and retracted her hair ribbon before jumping after the witch. 

“Mami!” Kyoko barked. “Where’s Homura?”

“I thought she was with you.” Mami replied, looking down to see a massive oil tanker driving up the arch of a bridge, ramming into Walpurgisnacht’s side and causing a massive explosion.

“Is that-”

As Homura fell, she landed on two giant missile launchers which emerged from the lake below. They spout two rockets at Walpurgisnacht, which dragged the witch into a pit. A million red lights lit up, and a large explosion erupted around the witch. 

“Hey…” Kyoko walked forward. “Did she get it?”

Out from the dust clouds, a blue dress slowly rose, and a loud laugh reverberated from the city buildings.

“I suppose not.” Mami noticed a small burst of light coming from the witch. “Sakura-san, watch out!” She shouted, rolling out of the way.

Kyoko jumped, but still got hit by an attack wave. “Ack!”

“Sakura-san!” 

Walpurgisnacht’s attack revealed itself to be a wave of familiars, all of which took a vaguely human shape. Mami winced. She summoned a wave of muskets, and fired at the familiars.

Homura pulled a barrage of bazookas from her shield, and began to shoot at the monster. But they didn’t do anything either. Homura grimaced. All of their attacks seemed to barely leave a mark. That is… except her punch earlier. With a sigh of her breath, she made a decision.

_ Sakura-san, Tomoe-san, I’m going in.  _ Homura transmitted her thoughts over magic.

_ You’re taking it on? Yourself?! _ Mami asked desperately.

_ Just let her go, Mami!  _ Kyoko retorted.  _ You’ve seen how strong she is. She stands a chance. _

_ Are you absolutely sure about this, Akemi-san?  _ Mami questioned.

_ I’m certain.  _ Homura replied, before jumping into the sky to meet Walpurgisnacht.

Kyoko was visibly shocked by the mighty leap. “Damn…”

Homura flew towards Walpurgisnacht. She clenched her fist, and punched it square in the nose. Walpurgisnacht made a bloodcurdling squeal. Landing on her feet, She once again jumped towards the monster and delivered another blow. Walpurgisnacht spat a supernatural fire at Homura, ablazing her in scorching bright colors. The pain was unimaginable. Homura screamed in agony, and started falling back to the ground. 

Homura hit the pavement with a thud. Blood dripped down her face. She could barely move her legs, and struggled to open her eyes. The world-ending nightmare in the sky was a distant object now. Homura couldn’t believe she’d failed. After all her patience, her endurance, her planning, her training, it wasn’t enough. She still couldn’t protect…

Madoka. That’s right. That’s all it came down to. She had to protect Madoka. Because she loved Madoka. And she didn’t want to lose her. Not again. Visions of Madoka flashed in her mind. Everything they had ever done together - from their first meeting, to battling Felicia, to watching Madoka turn into a witch, all the way to their meeting just last week - Built itself up in Homura’s psyche.

Homura flared up. She wasn’t going to lose Madoka. Not this time. This was the timeline. This was when she saved Madoka. When she prevented the contract, and saved Madoka from her fate of being a magical girl. Standing up, Homura tensed herself. Passion burned inside her. She poured her strength into a mighty leap, headed straight towards Walpurgisnacht. 

“YOU’RE NOT TAKING MADOKA AWAY FROM ME!” Homura yelled, propelling towards it. The years of trauma, sadness, and despair gathered in her fist as she delivered a fatal blow straight into the torso of Walpurgisnacht.

Walpurgisnacht screeched into the clouds. Her body slowly dissipated through the air, raining shards of the witch onto the road down below. 

Kyoko grit her teeth. Walpurgisnacht’s familiars were fiercer than she expected. A familiar jumped towards her, but just as it began to strike, it was wiped from existence. Kyoko looked around in confusion.    
“Hey, what’s-” Kyoko saw Mami facing the sky, and followed her gaze to see a dematerializing Walpurgisnacht falling towards earth. The witch bellowed a hearty laugh. With a blaze of light, it died.

After climbing over a pile of rubble, Kyoko found Homura, sitting down on a chipped piece of rock.

“Over here!” Kyoko called out. “Hey! Homura! Are you alright?”

Homura held up a small, gray jewel that was topped with a gear shape. Walpurgisnacht’s grief seed.

“It’s over.” Homura laid down on the pavement, and closed her eyes.

“Hey, wait! You’re not dying yet!” Kyoko grasped Homura’s hand. Her soul gem was dark. It looked like she was about to turn into a witch. Kyoko quickly snatched the grief seed, and brought it to Homura’s soul gem. “Come on, wake up!” 

Mami hopped over a stack of rubble. “You’re taking a nap here?”

Homura yawned. “Alright, alright.”

Kyoko grinned. “Atta girl. Were you the one that took ‘em out?”

Homura nodded. “Yes.”

“See?” Kyoko smirked at Mami. “I told you she could do it.”

“I didn’t-” Mami shook her head, and dismissed her thought. “Good job, Akemi-san.”

“I didn’t think we’d actually get this far.” Homura admitted. 

“Huh?” Kyoko growled. “You thought we’d all die here, and you dragged us along anyway?”

“Maybe.”

Mami giggled. “I never thought of you as a jokester, Akemi-san.”

“Jeez.” Kyoko raised her arms behind her head. “I’m glad we’re all alive, in any case.”

“Were you worried about me, Sakura-san?” Homura asked.

“Wha-” Kyoko blushed, before crossing her arms and turning her head away. “Not in the slightest.” 

Homura laughed quietly, and stood up. “So, how about that ramen?”

Kyoko peeped one eye open. “You see a place?”

“There’s one just around the corner that’s relatively intact.” Homura replied, and looked over to Mami. “Care to join us?”

Mami groaned, then smiled. “Well, one bowl won’t hurt.”

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Kyoko linked her elbows around Mami and Homura, bringing them in close. “Let’s go get some ramen.”

Homura smiled. With Kyoko and Mami, she felt a strange warmness. In fact, it was the same as how she felt when she was with Yumi. But she didn’t mind it. In fact, she welcomed this unfamiliar feeling. It reminded her of her best times she had spent with Madoka. It made her forget about the past, about her dark feelings, and about the uncertain future. It made her glad to be alive. She came to call it ‘happiness.’ But right now, she wasn’t worried about that. She had ramen to eat.

The brisk wind of early May passed through clear skies. Although summer was fast approaching and the sun was overhead, cool weather hadn’t left Mitakihara just yet. Even so, Homura had decided to wear a sundress for today. It was a special occasion, after all. Passing by the train station, the lake, and a nearby park, Homura reached her destination. She took a deep breath, walked past the front yard, and knocked on the door.

Madoka greeted her with a wide smile. “Hello, Homura-chan.” 

“Madoka…” Homura responded. “I’m ready.”

Madoka nodded. “I’m glad to hear that.”

“Would you…” Homura held out her hand. “Like to go on a date?”

Madoka grabbed it without hesitation. “I’d love to, Homura-chan.” 


End file.
